Thai elephants have been highly praised and nationally
proclaimed throughout history, but very little has been done to protect them.The threats against Thai elephants come only from human exploitation. Direct
threats include poaching for ivory and elephant calves, and illegal logging or
roaming the city streets for money. Indirect threats involve mismanagement and
shortsighted policies, such as deforestation for agriculture, industrial
plantations, dams or road constructions and commercialization of the forest
reserve areas.

One question often raised by observers is,"Why can't Thailand
solve its elephant problem? The answers vary. Some officials reply,"There
are complications involved, the laws, the culture, the diminishing forest land,
people's livelihoods, national revenue, etc. Others reply,"Responsible
organizations dare not do anything decisive for fear of conflicts. There
are even rumours about conflicts of interest surrounding elephant welfare. For
the Thai Animal Guardians Association (AGA), the answer is, Lack of
unity'.

Many studies have been completed and many solutions have been
proposed since 1991, but none of these have been implemented. Many committees
have been formed and countless discussions have taken place but, so far, there
has been no firm action. The obstacle is not the diversity of proposals. It is
the lack of decisiveness and consistency of effort to solve the problem that has
resulted in deteriorating conditions for the country's elephants. And success
does not lie in following any particular path.

The Thai AGA has studied the situation thoroughly and
concluded that there are two factors to consider:

1) The Government along with the animal welfare
and environmental NGOs should form a National Committee with full authority to
collaborate with any other agency or institution to formulate effective measures
to protect the elephant.

2) These measures, embedded in practical plans, should be
delivered for approval and enforcement on a national scale. Any outdated
legislation should be amended, and new regulations necessary for implementing
the plans should be adopted.

Wild elephants

Legal status:

Elephants are listed as Protected Animals under the
Conservation Act 1992. But, considering the present situation, they should now
be listed as endangered.

Population:

In 1991 the number of wild elephants was reported as 1 900.
There has been no official record since. It was estimated in 1997 that the
number dropped to 1 700, and these consisting mainly of females and young males
without tusks. This estimate is, however, said to be inaccurate. Judging from
the number of elephants sighted and the number of elephants killed or found dead
between 1991 and 1999, there should be less than 1 000 elephants in the nation's
forests. Nevertheless, a complete survey and record of the actual number of
elephants in the wild should be a high priority if proper protection is to be a
national commitment.

Problems:

The forest area in Thailand has reducedfrom 80 percent
in 1957 to approximately less than 20 percent in 1992, largely because of
deforestation associated with inappropriate developments. Although logging was
banned in 1989, 70 percent of the forest area had already disappeared, and
illegal logging continues. Shifting cultivation by tribal villagers, dam and
road constructions, even gas pipelines, eucalyptus and pineapple plantations, as
well as resort developments in forest reserve areas, have all added to the
devastation. These inappropriate developments continue to deprive elephants of
their natural habitat and feeding grounds, force them to migrate into dangerous
areas, and lead to conflicts between elephants seeking food and plantation
owners - such conflicts usually end with more elephants being poisoned or
killed.

Illegal poachingfor elephant tusks and elephant calves
distorts sex ratios in the population and effects reproduction. Males are hunted
for tusks, and females are killed for their calves. It has been said that to
capture an elephant calf, three or more female elephants fostering the calf must
die.

In general, elephant populations in the wild continue to
decrease, while the domesticated elephant population increases.

Solutions:

Put all wild elephants on the endangered species list rather
than just consider them a protected species. This will empower related
authorities to prevent the commercial exploitation of elephant parts.

Prohibit all products made out of elephant parts, including
ivory, skin, bone and all organs from both live and dead elephants regardless of
elephant origin and the cause of death. This is to prevent fraudulent claims
that parts are derived from domesticated elephants in and outside of the
country. It is impossible to tell the difference between ivory derived from a
wild elephant and a domesticated one.

Totally reform domesticated elephant registration from birth
to death, with accurate identification - microchip plus DNA recording - to
prevent registration fraud, especially with elephant calves. The conspicuous
increase in domesticated elephants suggests there could be a number of wild
elephant calves being posed as domestically born. For every fraudulent calf,
there could have been as many as four foster mothers killed.

Declare all remaining forest land reserve forest and prohibit
any unsustainable use of forest resources. Restrict further development in
forest land. Any project that would effect the ecosystem must be prevented or
revoked. There must exist the resolve to stop giving in to financial interests,
local or national, when conservation is at risk.

Educate local populations about elephant conservation, the
problems involved and the related laws. Wild elephants are sometime killed by
villagers seeking valuable forest products or by plantation farmers on former
elephant feeding grounds.

Domesticated elephants are considered to be commercial animals
under the Beast of Burden Act 1939. The owner has the right to trade and use the
animal at will.

Population:

There are about 3 000 domesticated elephants in 41 provinces
and three regions, approximately 2 500 in the North, over 400 in the Northeast
or E-sarn area, and about 100 in Central Thailand and in zoos around the
country. The Western region's elephant population consists mainly of wild
elephants.

Work status:

After logging was banned in 1989, most elephants became
unemployed or were forced to engage in illegal logging near or over the border
in Burma. Some elephants have been crippled or have died falling from cliffs,
while others have been crippled as a result of stepping on landmines. Some
elephants are given amphetamine and other drugs to enable them to work long
hours.

Other types of work Thai domesticated elephants do are
patrolling the jungle with forest rangers, in the tourism industry (either as an
exhibit or giving rides to tourists in many Northern resorts and elephant parks
in Central Thailand), and in local ceremonies in the Northeast. There is an
Elephant Festival in Surin northeast of Bangkok, which takes place only once a
year. Some Thai elephants have been exported for employment overseas, but
frequently return as casualties.

Since mid 1999, there have been a few arrangements to recruit
elephants into entertainment places such as circuses and cinemas. Unfortunately,
most elephant owners or mahouts prefer to bring their elephants to roam the
streets of Bangkok and other large cities for money.

Unemployment and starvation are the root of all domesticated
elephant problems in Thailand.After logging was banned, all northern
elephants became unemployed. Many of the elephants are not tame enough to work
in resorts or entertainment places, and end up engaged in illegal logging.
Deforestation by government projects and industrial plantations worsens the
situation by depriving the elephants of their natural food sources.

E-sarn elephants are better adapted for employment in
entertainment places, but the Elephant Festival in Surin happens only once a
year and local ceremonies using elephants are becoming rarer. Most forest land
has been converted into eucalyptus plantations. Elephant owners cannot afford to
feed their animals. A majority of Surin mahouts now bring their elephants to the
city, taking them on what are plainly begging rounds.

Problems:

Laws and regulations involving domesticated elephants are
ineffective and outdated. The Beast of Burden Act 1939 has been in use since the
time elephants were still a means of transport in Thailand. The elephant
identification paper is just as outdated. No personal description is included,
and no positive ID can be made. The time required to report a new born elephant
used to be eight years and was recently changed to three. Ideally, it should be
as early as possible after birth.

Transfers by purchase of domesticated elephants cause these
smart and sentimental animals considerable stress and difficulty in adjusting
from one new owner to the next. Many mahouts riding the elephants are neither
the original or real owners - just keepers. These keepers have no emotional ties
to the elephants, tend to mistreat the animals and cannot control them during an
emergency. This sometime results in tragedy, e.g. when an elephant is in
musth or becomes enraged.

Improper handling and employment such as abusive training,
excessive use of force for punishment, use of drugs, lack of proper care, animal
exploitation, illegal logging, wandering the streets for money, etc. lead to
many animal welfare problems and sometimes threaten public safety.

1) Thai elephant trainers still believe in
excessive force like tight cuffs on all four legs to discipline young calves and
the use of a spike hammer for punishment.

2) Elephants are ordered to stand on two front legs or on a
small box to entertain tourists and locals. These elephants will likely have
bone disorders when older. When not performing, elephants are confined in short
chains for the rest of the day. This results in long term neurotic behaviour,
observable when an elephant sways its head side to side all the time like it's
dancing.

3) Baby elephants are forced to perform on the street for
money. Most of them are separated from their mothers and fed with beer and
amphetamines for the entertainment of tourists. More and more baby elephants are
now found roaming the city streets. Some of these could have been smuggled in
from the wild. If so, it means that as many as four adult females (foster
mothers) may have been killed in the process.

4) Elephants engaged in illegal logging are often drugged with
amphetamines to enable them to work long hours. Many elephants step on landmines
and are crippled for life or die. Once an elephant is crippled, it is of no use
to the owner and likely to be killed for its meat.

5) Most elephant resorts pay little or no attention to animal
welfare. Elephants have to work long hours with not enough to eat or time to
rest. House vets are virtually unheard of. Medical attention is given only when
the animal is already sick.

6) Other incidents involving mistreated elephants and threats
to public safety include elephants going on the rampage in the city, attacks on
owners and villagers, traffic accidents, etc. For example, Petch,' a male
elephant that had been chained in a temple for 17 years and suffered from a
neurotic disorder, had to be gunned down by the police during a five hours
rampage on New Year's eve 1995. In 1999, an elephant attacked a group of
tourists during a performance. In 1997, Boon Choo,' a 72 years old
elephant, fell into an open sewer and died. Elephants drowning in city swamps or
getting hit by cars have become common news items.

Deforestationeffects both wild and domesticated
elephants. A full-grown elephant consumes about 200 kg a day, which is more than
an ordinary farmer can afford. Owners usually let their elephants feed on
natural vegetation in the jungle and bathe in a nearby canal. Deforestation has
taken away all these, especially in the Eastern part of Thailand.

1) Eucalyptus plantations have replaced bamboo
bushes that elephants used to feed on. Many rivers are now running low, and the
now ubiquitous irrigation systems do not accommodate elephants.

2) In the north, food and water are still available in the
mountains. But, even here, there are problems. Domesticated elephants are
accused of damaging the forests and polluting the streams. Elephant owners claim
that Thai villagers have made these accusations because they do not wish to
share the forest resource (bamboo shoots) with elephants. Local councils and
forest authorities make life difficult for elephant owners who have no
citizenship. Elephants are prevented from entering forest reserve
areas.

Unfair or exploitative business practices.

1) Unfair employment practices make appropriate
careers very unattractive and the problems of domesticated elephants very
difficult to solve. The mahouts are underpaid and without legal contract. If
there is one, it is usually to the employer's advantage and often breached
without compensation. The annual Elephant Festival in Surin is a multi-million
baht affair, but the mahouts are paid less than 3 000 baht for their
participation.

2) Businessmen recruit elephants from poor owners - sometime
as part of a loan arrangement - and then rent the elephants back to them or to
any mahout for street roaming. Surin mahouts prefer bringing elephants to beg in
major cities like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and Phuket. An average income of
15 000-30 000 baht per month from the streets makes this controversial career
very attractive, despite the high competition. Problems involving elephants
roaming city streets are discussed in Thai AGA's No City Elephant campaign
presented in Annex 1.

3) Elephant welfare is seriously threatened by claims of
poverty and starvation. The mahout's poor economic status and the threat of
elephants starving are always used to get public sympathy. This has created a
vacuum in solving the problems. Authorities and animals activists consider the
issue to be highly sensitive and hesitate to act. Some activists end up
protecting business interests instead of animal welfare.

4) Dozens of committees have been formed, but no solution has
been fully implemented. Every time the word poverty or starvation is brought up,
any corrective action is compromised. Animal welfare is sacrificed for human
short-term interests. Authorities and owners are willing to risk elephant lives
to address the issue of unemployment. Elephants are still allowed to cross the
border into Burma, where logging is still legal, for employment. Many elephants
have stepped on landmines and have become crippled or have died. No City
Elephant' has been the policy of Bangkok Metropolitan Authority and the Police
since 1992, and is frequently reiterated. But more elephants are coming to the
city every year to be crippled or to die in traffic accidents or in the city's
swamps.

5) In the case of city elephants, it is a case of poverty
turned to profit. Many proposals have been formulated and budgets spent without
real improvement. Hardship has also struck many northern elephants, but beggary
is not encouraged. Northern mahouts are also poor, and their elephants starving,
but they do not roam the streets. Only mahouts from Surin insist on roaming the
streets and refuse to accept alternative careers claiming that the income is too
low. When the public is alerted and the authorities are firm, someone will claim
that,"the mahouts are not ready and ask for more time. This has
been going on for ten years. The likelihood is that the mahouts will never be
ready if excuses are always accepted.

6) Elephant organizations in Thailand are very prominent and
strong. And, for the same reason, collaboration is sometimes difficult. Each
organization has its own solution and methods, which do not necessarily coincide
with those of others. Authorities and the public are sometime confused and do
not know which to follow. There are rumours about discordance among elephant
activists. The public is sad to hear reports about conflicts over elephant
custody.

Solutions:

Remove domesticated elephants from the Beast of Burden Act and
place them under the Protection of Wildlife Conservation Act 1992. Owners can
continue to care and work the elephants through a permit. Transfer of ownership
or the permit should be firmly restricted. In cases of violations, the permits
can be revoked, and the animal can then be confiscated. All elephants born after
confiscation should become government property.

Provide elephant medicare and food to owners and organizations
with elephants under their care. Veterinary visits should be provided for all
domesticated elephants in the country. This will help minimize expenditure for
those who care for elephants.

Totally revise the registration method for positive
identification of all domesticated elephants. Birth records, transfer of title
deeds, breeding and death reports should be regulated to prevent registration
fraud between wild and domesticated elephants. Newborn elephants should be
reported and registered soon after birth.

Bring forth the Animal Welfare Legislation as a preventive
measure against any loophole of the existing Conservation Act.

Ban elephants roaming the streets and provide appropriate
careers for the mahouts. Regulate elephant businesses to ensure a fair contract
for the mahouts. This will eliminate the elephant loaning business for beggary,
and protect elephant welfare and public safety.

Upgrade the status and expertise of mahouts to a professional
level. Anyone seeking benefit from their elephants should pay a fair price. Thai
mahouts should receive professional recognition and a fair income.

Consider the possibility of a rehabilitation process. Third or
fourth generation domesticated elephants may be released together, in a suitable
area, for rehabilitation in the wild.

Conclusions

Problems surrounding Thai elephants can be readily solved. It
is not necessarily a dead end, but could become a never-ending story. Unity and
determination will ensure success.

Wild elephants have to be conserved along with their habitat -
the forest. If rehabilitation of domesticated elephants is not possible, work in
the tourism and entertainment industry appears to be the only choice.
Nevertheless, one should not allow human interest or personal differences to get
in the way of conservation efforts.

Any activity or development that threatens elephant welfare or
their habitat should not be allowed. Mahouts who bring elephants to the city for
money, villagers who exploit the forest resources, gift shops that sell ivory,
businessmen who turn forest land into plantations, officials with ideas to
commercialize the forest reserves, or politicians who like to propose budgets
for more dams must be stopped.

Annex 1. Why an elephant resort should not be in
Bangkok

1) Bangkok is crowded with buildings, houses, markets and
business places. The empty spaces found in different corners of the city are
either privately or government owned properties waiting for investment. They are
usually surrounded by buildings, thus, may be good for a hideout but not for a
resort. Even the outskirts of the city cannot accommodate 400 elephants waiting
to march to Bangkok.

2) Bangkok's climate is always hot and humid, and the air is
badly polluted. Every leaf and greenery is coated with toxic deposits. Medical
records show that elephants on the street suffer respiratory and intestinal
infections. An appropriate elephant resort should be in natural
surroundings.

3) Unlike elephants in natural resorts, those in the city will
have no room for free exercise. They will be chained up after work, and will
develop mental disorders.

4) An elephant resort requires a vast space to accommodate
tourist activities and to shelter all the elephants and the mahouts and their
families. Each elephant requires a large amount of food and water for drinking
and bathing. They also leave a large amount of dung that needs to be disposed
of. The resort would require a huge budget for landscaping, administration, and
maintenance.

5) Elephant resorts around the country are already struggling
to survive. A Bangkok resort would adversely affect those in other regions.
Elephant tourism in the north and in Surin could collapse. More elephants would
be forced to come to the city. Neither Bangkok nor any major city is large
enough to accommodate 3 000 unemployed elephants.

6) An elephant resort in Bangkok, or in any city nearby, would
become an excuse for elephants from all over the country to migrate to Bangkok.
It is unlikely that the authorities would be able to control the
migration.

7) Any attention or interest a city resort may receive in the
beginning is unlikely to be sustained. When the profits are down, disputes would
follow, and the mahouts will take to the streets. The city would not be able to
control the situation. Neither can it absorb or compensate the financial loss in
case of business failure.

8) All authorities in Bangkok know that enforcement is
difficult once elephants are in the city. There is not enough manpower to deal
with runaway mahouts and their elephants.

One baby elephant in a
garbage-dump hideout.

A number of elephants living among
stray dog in one of the city hideouts.